Chronicle Editor
George Maponga, Masvingo Bureau
More than 200 A1 and A2 Zvishavane farmers have undergone a livestock rearing and breeding training programme that is expected to add value to their farming business.
The training was organised by National Foods (Natfoods) and saw trainees receiving skills from experts in poultry, piggery, beef and dairy farming on how to turn their projects into profitable ventures.
Speaking at the end of a livestock rearing and breeding workshop held in Zvishavane over the weekend, one of the farmers, Mrs Juliet Mapfumo, said the training programme was long overdue and had came at the right time. “I am a seasoned farmer involved in chicken rearing, piggery and cattle, but I am happy that today I learnt a lot from the training I received. This training corrected me on many mistakes that I made when feeding my chickens. The training has been very helpful,” said Mrs Mapfumo.
She said the training had enhanced her capacity to stop the spread of diseases amongst her livestock.
Another farmer Mr Jameson Stocken said the training had equipped her with skills to build advanced coops that could protect her chicken from diseases.
He hailed Natfoods for the initiative to train livestock farmers. Runde Rural District Council (RDC) chief executive Mr Gorden Moyo also paid tribute to the organisation for empowering farmers in Zvishavane.
“They (Natfoods) were here to share information about profitable livestock rearing.The farmers had an opportunity to receive skills from experts and we truly appreciate such a gesture by National Foods and the challenge is now on our farmers to put into practice what they have been taught,” said Mr Moyo.
Natfoods group marketing executive Mrs Angela Mpala-Nkomo said her organisation wanted to equip farmers with information on the lucrative business of livestock farming. “It is an engagement drive to interact with our product users with the objective of locking them in and converting non-users to users.
National Foods stockfeeds periodically engages its product users nationwide so as to better understand their needs to better serve them. We have done it in Harare, Bulawayo, and Mutare among other areas,” she said.
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